| 1801.-
I have just returned from a visit to my landlord--the solitary
neighbour that I shall be troubled with. This is certainly a beautiful
country! In all England, I do not believe that I could have fixed on a
situation so completely removed from the stir of society. A perfect misanthropist's
heaven: and Mr Heathcliff and I are such a suitable pair to divide the
desolation between us. A capital fellow! He little imagined how my heart
warmed towards him when I beheld his black eyes withdraw so suspiciously
under their brows, as I rode up, and when his fingers sheltered themselves,
with a jealous resolution, still farther in his waistcoat, as I announced
my name.
`Mr Heathcliff!' I said.
A nod was the answer.
`Mr Lockwood, your new tenant, sir. I do myself the honour of
calling as soon as possible after my arrival, to express the hope that
I have not inconvenienced you by my perseverance in soliciting the occupation
of Thrushcross Grange: I heard yesterday you had had some thoughts--'
`Thrushcross Grange is my own, sir,' he interrupted, wincing.
`I should not allow anyone to inconvenience me, if I could hinder it--walk
in!'
The `walk in' was uttered with closed teeth, and expressed the
sentiment, `Go to the deuce': even the gate over which he leant manifested
no sympathizing movement to the words; and I think that circumstance determined
me to accept the invitation: I felt interested in a man who seemed more
exaggeratedly reserved than myself.
When he saw my horse's breast fairly pushing the barrier, he did
put out his hand to unchain it, and then sullenly preceded me up the causeway,
calling, as we entered the court: `Joseph, take Mr Lockwood's horse; and
bring up some wine.'
`Here we have the whole establishment of domestics, I suppose,'
was the reflection suggested by this compound order.
`No wonder the grass grows up between the flags, and cattle are the
only hedge-cutters.
Joseph was an elderly, nay, an old man: very old, perhaps, though
hale and sinewy. `The Lord help us!' he soliloquized in an undertone of
peevish displeasure, while relieving me of my horse: looking, meantime,
in my face so sourly that I charitably conjectured he must have need of
divine aid to digest his dinner, and his pious ejaculation had no reference
to my unexpected advent.
Wuthering Heights is the name of Mr Heathcliff's dwelling. `Wuthering'
being a significant provincial adjective, descriptive of the atmospheric
tumult to which its station is exposed in stormy weather. Pure, bracing
ventilation they must have up there at all times, indeed; one may guess
the power of the north wind blowing over the edge, by the excessive slant
of a few stunted firs at the end of the house; and by a range of gaunt
thorns all stretching their limbs one way, as if craving alms of the sun.
Happily, the architect had foresight to build it strong: the narrow windows
are deeply set in the wall, and the corners defended with large jutting
stones.
Before passing the threshold, I paused to admire a quantity of
grotesque carving lavished over the front, and especially about the principal
door; above which, among a wilderness of crumbling griffins and shameless
little boys, I detected the date `1500', and the name `Hareton Earnshaw'.
I would have made a few comments, and requested a short history of the
place from the surly owner; but his attitude at the door appeared to demand
my speedy entrance, or complete departure, and I had no desire to aggravate
his impatience previous to inspecting the penetralium.
One step brought us into the family sitting-room, without any
introductory lobby or passage: they call it here `the house' preeminently.
It includes kitchen and parlour, generally; but I believe at Wuthering
Heights the kitchen is forced to retreat altogether into another quarter:
at least I distinguished a chatter of tongues, and a clatter of culinary
utensils, deep within; and I observed no signs of roasting, boiling, or
baking, about the huge fireplace; nor any glitter of copper saucepans and
tin cullenders on the walls. One end, indeed, reflected splendidly both
light and heat from ranks of immense pewter dishes, interspersed with silver
jugs and tankards, towering row after row, on a vast oak dresser, to the
very roof. The latter had never been underdrawn: its entire anatomy lay
bare to an inquiring eye, except where a frame of wood laden with oatcakes
and clusters of legs of beef, mutton, and ham, concealed it. Above the
chimney were sundry villainous ; old guns, and a couple of horse-pistols:
and, by way of ornament, three gaudily painted canisters disposed along
its ledge. The floor was of smooth, white stone; the chairs, high-backed,
primitive structures, painted green: one or two heavy black ones lurking
in the shade. In an arch under the dresser, reposed a huge, liver-coloured
bitch pointer, surrounded by a swarm of squealing puppies; and other dogs
haunted other recesses.
The apartment and furniture would have been nothing extraordinary
as belonging to a homely, northern farmer, with a stubborn countenance,
and stalwart limbs set out to advantage in knee breeches and gaiters. Such
an individual seated in his armchair, his mug of ale frothing on the round
table before him, is to be seen in any circuit of five or six miles among
these hills, if you go at the right time after dinner. But Mr Heathcliff
forms a singular contrast to his abode and style of living. He is a dark-skinned
gipsy in aspect, in dress and manners a gentleman: that is, as much a gentleman
as many a country squire: rather slovenly, perhaps, yet not looking amiss
with his negligence, because he has an erect and handsome figure; and rather
morose. Possibly, some people might suspect him of a degree of under-bred
pride; I have a sympathetic chord within that tells me it is nothing of
the sort: I know, by instinct, his reserve springs from an aversion to
showy displays of feeling--to manifestations of mutual kindliness. He'll
love and hate equally under cover, and esteem it a species of impertinence
to be loved or hated again. No, I'm running on too fast: I bestow my own
attributes over liberally on him. Mr Heathcliff may have entirely dissimilar
reasons for keeping his hand out of the way when he meets a would-be acquaintance,
to those which actuate me. Let me hope my constitution is almost peculiar:
my dear mother used to say I should never have a comfortable home; and
only last summer I proved myself perfectly unworthy of one.
While enjoying a month of fine weather at the sea coast, I was
thrown into the company of a most fascinating creature: a real goddess
in my eyes, as long as she took no notice of me. I `never told my love'
vocally; still, if looks have language, the merest idiot might have guessed
I was over head and ears: she understood me at last, and looked a return--the
sweetest of all imaginable looks. And what did I do? I confess it with
shame--shrunk icily into myself, like a snail; at every glance retired
colder and further; till finally the poor innocent was led to doubt her
own senses, and, overwhelmed with confusion at her supposed mistake, persuaded
her mamma to decamp. By this curious turn of disposition I have gained
the reputation of deliberate heartlessness; how undeserved, I alone can
appreciate.
I took a seat at the end of the hearthstone opposite that towards
which my landlord advanced, and filled up an interval of silence by attempting
to caress the canine mother, who had left her nursery, and was sneaking
wolfishly to the back of my legs, her lip curled up, and her white teeth
watering for a snatch. My caress provoked a long, guttural gnarl.
`You'd better let the dog alone,' growled Mr Heathcliff in unison,
checking fiercer demonstrations with a punch of his foot. `She's not accustomed
to be spoiled--not kept for a pet.' Then, striding to a side door, he shouted
again, `Joseph!'
Joseph mumbled indistinctly in the depths of the cellar, but gave
no intimation of ascending; so his master dived down to him, leaving me
vis-à-vis the ruffianly bitch and a pair of grim shaggy sheep-dogs,
who shared with her a jealous guardianship over all my movements. Not anxious
to come in contact with their fangs, I sat still; but, imagining they would
scarcely understand tacit insults, I unfortunately indulged in winking
and making faces at the trio, and some turn of my physiognomy so irritated
madam, that she suddenly broke into a fury and leapt on my knees. I flung
her back, and hastened to interpose the table between us. This proceeding
roused the whole hive: half a dozen four-footed fiends, of various sizes
and ages, issued from hidden dens to the common centre. I felt my heels
and coat-laps peculiar subjects of assault; and parrying off the larger
combatants as effectually as I could with the poker, I was constrained
to demand, aloud, assistance from some of the household in re-establishing
peace.
Mr Heathcliff and his man climbed the cellar steps with vexatious
phlegm: I don't think they moved one second faster than usual, though the
hearth was an absolute tempest of worrying and yelping. Happily, an inhabitant
of the kitchen made more dispatch: a lusty dame, with tucked-up gown, bare
arms, and fire-flushed cheeks, rushed into the midst of us flourishing
a frying-pan: and used that weapon, and her tongue, to such purpose, that
the storm subsided magically, and she only remained, heaving like a sea
after a high wind, when her master entered on the scene.
`What the devil is the matter?' he asked, eyeing me in a manner
that I could ill endure after this inhospitable treatment.
`What the devil, indeed!' I muttered. `The herd of possessed swine
could have had no worse spirits in them than those animals of yours, sir.
You might as well leave a stranger with a brood of tigers!'
`They won't meddle with persons who touch nothing,' he remarked,
putting the bottle before me, and restoring the displaced table. `The dogs
do right to be vigilant. Take a glass of wine?'
`No, thank you.'
`Not bitten, are you?'
`If I had been, I would have set my signet on the biter.'
Heathcliff's countenance relaxed into a grin.
`Come, come,' he said, `you are flurried, Mr Lockwood. Here, take a
little wine. Guests are so exceedingly rare in this house that I and my
dogs, I am willing to own, hardly know how to receive them. Your health,
sir!'
I bowed and returned the pledge; beginning to perceive that it
would be foolish to sit sulking for the misbehaviour of a pack of curs:
besides, I felt loath to yield the fellow further amusement at my expense;
since the humour took that turn. He--probably swayed by prudential consideration
of the folly of offending a good tenant--relaxed a little in the laconic
style of chipping off his pronouns and auxiliary verbs, and introduced
what he supposed would be a subject of interest to me--a discourse on the
advantages and disadvantages of my present place of retirement. I found
him very intelligent on the topics we touched; and before I went home,
I was encouraged so far as to volunteer another visit tomorrow. He evidently
wished no repetition of my intrusion. I shall go, notwithstanding. It is
astonishing how sociable I feel myself compared with him.
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